New York, NY - Frances Fragos Townsend, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, will address the Order of St. Andrew Ladies' Tea reception at 1:30 pm on Saturday, October 22, 2005 at the New York Hilton.

His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America and Exarch of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has announced that the Archons of the Order of St. Andrew will honor former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev with the 2005 Athenagoras Human Rights Award at the banquet Saturday evening, October 22.

A distinguished Greek American, Ms. Townsend was appointed Homeland Security Advisor by the President on May 28, 2004. She chairs the Homeland Security Council and reports to the President on United States Homeland Security policy and Combating Terrorism matters. She previously served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Combating Terrorism.

Dr. Anthony Limberakis, the Order's National Commander, said, "Frances Fragos Townsend, a key advisor to President George W. Bush will add an important dimension to our activities, dealing, as she does with such critically relevant matters as intelligence and security. We are indeed honored to have her with us."

Ms. Townsend came to the White House from the U.S. Coast Guard, where she had served as Assistant Commandant for Intelligence. Prior to that, Ms. Townsend spent 13 years at the U.S. Department of Justice in a variety of senior positions. Her last assignment was as Counsel to the Attorney General for Intelligence Policy.

After graduating cum laude from the American University in 1982 where she received a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Psychology and receiving her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1984, Ms. Townsend began her prosecutorial serving as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn, New York in 1985. In 1986, she attended the Institute on International and Comparative Law in London, England.